The Internet & Connectivity Options

The Internet is a global network connecting millions of smaller networks together, allowing devices anywhere in the world to communicate.

Basic services running on top of the Internet include email and websites (the World Wide Web) — the Internet is the infrastructure; these are services that use it.

IP address

A unique numerical address assigned to a device on a network, needed so data knows exactly where to be sent and where it came from — without one, devices couldn't be individually located on the network.

Hardware used to connect to the Internet:

• SIM card (cellular) — connects a device to a mobile network's data service.
• Wireless router — broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal that devices connect to.
• Personal hotspot — a phone shares its own cellular data connection wirelessly with other devices.
• ADSL router — connects a location to the Internet via telephone lines.